The time-tested recipe that earned this brand a permanent spot in freezers across Michigan

Inventing new flavors of ice cream is both a science and an art. For Morgan Craig, flavor creator at Hudsonville Ice Cream in Holland, Michigan, it's also a collaborative companywide process.

"Everyone at Hudsonville who works here is essentially an official taste tester," said Craig. Working at an ice cream company with a legacy that spans over 90 years gives Craig's new creations an edge as well. "A lot of people who have been here for a while have seen a lot of things succeed and fail," she explained. "I really trust their opinions, because they know what could work. I get a lot of great feedback."

"Hudsonville Ice Cream got its start like a lot of Midwest dairies — as a farmer’s co-op, where we made ice cream as a part of the dairy process," said CJ Ellens, director of sales and marketing, whose family bought the company from the previous owners, the Hoezee family, in 2003.

"Dell [Hoezee] still stops in and keeps me in line every month to make sure that we’re adhering to the quality that he started with his family," Ellens said.

Hudsonville Ice Cream has been a Michigan family favorite for generations.(Photo: GET Creative)

While the number of flavors and products put out by this much-loved Michigan-based creamery has expanded over the past nine decades, from the six original flavors to over 50 today, the quality ingredients and core recipe used by the company have remained the same.

That time-tested recipe provides Craig with the perfect canvas to craft new flavors for Hudsonville Ice Cream's loyal customers — some of whom get in touch with Craig directly to pitch ideas of their own. Hudsonville Ice Cream’s “Comeback Cooler” flavor came from the company’s Flavor of Detroit contest — a competition where the brand sourced flavor ideas from local fans.

"My favorite story is about a woman who called our front desk after visiting the Oregon coast," said Craig. "She and I talked on the phone about the flavor and we were just in sync. She was so excited, and it made me so excited. If you have a really great idea or inspiration, I can start making it and working on it."

How Hudsonville Ice Cream is made

"When you think about what makes great ice cream, there are five building blocks," said Ellens. "Fresh milk, which we locally source within 20-30 miles of our location. Cream, which we get from Meijer right down the road [from Meijer’s wholesale suppliers]. Sugar, whey powder and skim."

After the milk and cream have been collected from Hudsonville's local suppliers, it gets put through the mix-making process. "We combine whole milk and cream, then add sugar and the [flavor] to that process so it has a good consistent feel," Ellens explained.

From there, it undergoes pasteurization and homogenization, which is how the ice cream gets its smooth consistency.

And finally, the fun part. "Then we add the flavoring and the inclusions, which is the technical term for things like chocolate chips, butter pecans or the mint chip pieces. Then it goes through the freezer where it’s frozen, and put into the carton of ice cream and into a spiral freezer," said Ellens. Hudsonville Ice Cream’s signature flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan and orange pineapple can be found at Meijer stores, along with many of their other 50 flavors.

Continuing Hudsonville's Michigan legacy

Quality has been a key pillar of Hudsonville Ice Cream's business model from the beginning. As the brand has grown and expanded, partnerships with retailers like Meijer have helped to grow their footprint. “We started with Meijer very early on – over 60 years ago, right when the freezer started, and we’ve grown with them,” said Ellens. “Meijer has been a key piece of helping us grow the brand, and to take chances in spaces outside of Michigan.”

Local ingredients like the Michigan cherries found in Traverse City Cherry Fudge are a staple of Hudsonville Ice Cream.(Photo: Hudsonville Ice Cream)

Hudsonville Ice Cream’s local Michigan supplier base has also grown and expanded as a result of new recipes. "We are starting to use a lot more Michigan-centric suppliers when developing new flavors," said Craig. "We know it helps not only with sustainability, but I think it actually tastes better because all the raw materials don’t have to travel so far. The producer is right there, so they can get it to us very quickly."

But as Ellens puts it, Hudsonville Ice Cream’s recipe for success is more than just making a great tasting ice cream. "When you think about what Hudsonville means to Michigan, it’s a family-owned brand,” he said. “It’s been around for 90 years, [and has] been made right here the entire time. When you make something consistent and you’re honest, and you do it with integrity, people have pride in the product. I think Hudsonville is not only our business, but this whole region’s business in terms of the pride we take in doing things right, consistently. We have those common goals with Meijer, as they grow their footprint and continue their family values that they’ve had throughout their time in business.”

To find Hudsonville Ice Cream and products from other local vendors, visit a Meijer near you — or shop online at Meijer.com.

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